step up your packaging: thumb tack and magnet boxes

Do you remember how I packaged my thumb tacks and magnets for my final 2011 show?

The tacks worked all right in the jewelry boxes, but the magnets didn't work so well.  I had so much else to do for this show that I let it be and focused on other things.  People still bought lots of the magnets.  But it was something that I wanted to return to in the future.

Usually I let people choose their own magnet and tack sets instead of packaging them myself.  I'm going to continue doing that, BUT I will still provide packaging.  Better packaging.

My plan is to have a few boxes out on my display table that people can grab and fill as they please.  We'll see how it goes.

What did I use for the inserts?  The metal is from one of these sheets.  I bought several of those sheets a few years ago for a project for Jake.  He hasn't used all of it yet.  I know that the piece photographed is smudged, but 1) you don't notice when magnets covering it and 2) most of the metal pieces aren't like that.  You can slice this metal (fairly easily) with regular scissors.

The cork is left over from my coaster project.  I was surprised how readily available it is.  Just about any big box store or chain office supply store carries it.  It isn't the thickest cork out there by any means, but it works just fine for packaging.  I used a craft knife to slice my cork.

I propped the boxes up so you can get a good lighting angle.  The inserts look better when they sit naturally in the boxes.

I had different labels on the boxes at my final 2011 show that I had designed specifically for that show.  In the future, I'll be using the labels pictured above.  You really can't include your contact information too many times.  In addition to giving it to the buyer one more time, you may be passing it on to a different recipient if the items are given as a gift.

If you sell thumb tacks and/or magnets, how do you package them?  For those who don't sell either of these items, what have you done to improve your packaging lately?

Stay tuned later this week for some more developments that I've been working on for my upcoming open house.

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Where I linked up today:

I included this post in Michelle's Delicately Constructed Friday - 2/3/2012.